Looks like a "harmonic convergence" happining here. Sweet!
Brent

Only problem I see with the idea of BWA funded memorial scholarships for the clinic or safety courses would be unseemly arguments over who "deserves" them.

However, Wes's idea to only make these available to students would not only nip those arguments the bud it would also help the BWA encourage young people to either become paddlers or become safer ones.
barryg

I still say let the steering committee decide, that's why we elect them to make such decisions. let's not get sidetracked by small details. No proposal is going to be perfect, so lets try to stick to workable.

Would you deny access to these to a disabled veteran or a working single mother? Again, lets just keep it simple and let the steering committee decide who is "worthy".

Larry Cable

I think qualifications is something the steering committee can discuss and decide. That part is certainly not a life or death decision. I'd like to point out that there are students who are still being supported by their parents who seem to be able to go to Florida and party for a week on spring break, and there are young adults newly in the working world who are in entry level jobs and barely making ends meet. Or "mature" adults who for whatever reason (child support payments, bad choices in their youth... ) don't have much disposable income.

I don't really want to ask someone to bare their financial situation to qualify for these awards, but I'm just saying that we shouldn't automatically assume that students are the most needy. I say we see who gets nominated each year and let the steering committee make a considered choice about recipients with some general guidelines in mind, but no firm requirements. Or, pick a name out of a hat and let it be totally random. That's fine, too.

In my best British accent: "Brilliant!"

Lol, Beel! Good points Zina. Again, KISS and flexibility. May seem like Chaos, but it will actually be "read and run". No Rigid Rules!
Brent

I think it sounds like a great use of the money and a real benefit to the club and the paddling community. If we wanted to sweeten it without an real additional cost, we could throw in a free NPFF entry.

Okay, at the steering committee meeting we hashed over these proposals and evaluated and modified them based on these criteria.

1. Implementation had to be simple.
2. Implementation had to be sustainable.
3. Implementation had to be as uncontroversial as possible.

We came up with these two final version proposals which we would like to bring up for a vote at the next club meeting. Additionally, the Griffin Sanders memorial should meet with the approval of Griffin's parents.

1. A Bueren Garten Memorial Beginners Clinic Scholarship should be established. The existing funds would be rolled into the general fund and every year thereafter at the February Steering Committee meeting one person would be awarded the scholarship. The scholarship would consist of full tuition to the spring clinic along with all priveledges normally associated with a paid clinic application (membership, etc). Any club member would be able to nominate a possible scholarship recipient, and the steering committee would select the recipient from the nominees. Winner to be announced at the February meeting.

2. A Griffin Sanders memorial safety grant should be established to promote safety and first aid training. Typically the grant would be used to fund a CPR class available to all club members on a first come, first serve basis. Alternatively, the steering committee would have the power to fund a different safety or first aid initiative including, but not limited to:
-Paying for or subsidizing a different first aid, swiftwater rescue, or other safety clinic.
-Paying for or subsidizing the participation of a member of members in a safety or first aid instruction course.
The target value of the grant each year should be approximately $100, giving us funding for at least nine years to get this program well established. Existing monies would be rolled into the general fund for this purpose.

Edit: Append to number 2:

The steering committee will decide how much money to spend and how to direct it at their June meeting, announcing the decision at the June regular meeting.

Hanley

WWGD? laugh...